5 Ways a Visit to Norway Can Help Us Learn More about God
Spiritual Life
Audio By Carbonatix
5:35 AM on Wednesday, June 17
By Whitney Hopler, Spiritual Life
1. The Open-Air Life
In Norway, the concept of friluftsliv, which means “life in the open air,” is the belief that we’re designed to go outside and enjoy nature on a regular basis. Regardless of the weather, Norwegians spend as much time as possible outside. It was rainy and windy during most days of my trip to Norway. But I was glad I didn’t let that stop me from enjoying wonderful nature experiences there. While hiking forest trails, I passed by many others who, like me, were hiking bundled up in rain gear. Waterfalls flowed with majestic power during all the rain, and the huge Norway spruce trees looked awe-inspiring, covered in mist.
Norwegians I met told me they love to spend time outdoors even during the coldest and darkest winter months, and they usually do so through winter sports like skiing (both downhill skiing and cross-country skiing). As part of the open-air life, Norwegians enjoy free access to sports equipment, so everyone can afford to ski and participate in other outdoor sports. No wonder Norway’s athletes win so many medals at each winter Olympics! In Norway, there’s a policy called allemannsretten (the “right to roam”), which gives people the freedom to hike, ski, and camp nearly anywhere in the countryside. Norwegians practice sporløs ferdsel (“leave no trace”), which involves cleaning up the environment after they enjoy it, in ways like carrying trash out.
Embracing this way of living reminds us that God designed us to enjoy the outdoors and to take care of nature there. It’s important to enjoy nature because nature helps us learn about God’s character. Romans 1:20 reveals: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” It’s also important to take good care of our God-given environment because that’s our first assignment from our Creator.
As Genesis 2:15 points out: “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” When we treat the earth with the same respect as Norwegians do, we’re honoring God’s call to treasure the natural environment he has made for us. In Norway, people often take hikes in nature on Sundays to find spiritual renewal and revival in nature. We can also connect with God through his creation by going outside in the open air and looking for inspiration there.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Valerii Ladomyriak
2. The Worth of Every Soul
Norway is famously egalitarian because the Norwegian people have a strong sense of respect for human dignity. They emphasize that every person has intrinsic value regardless of how much money or power they have. In Norwegian society, people are encouraged to listen well to each other even when they disagree, because everyone’s thoughts and feelings are equally valuable, and everyone can learn from each other.
I enjoyed many conversations with local people about why they think Norway ranks highly on well-being surveys like the World Happiness Report, year after year. They all said that it came down to living in a caring community, where people truly value each other and trust each other to intentionally be kind to each other. Norwegians have set up a society that’s designed to help everyone financially, so no one is left behind during crises like getting sick or needing to change jobs. The people of Norway also have a tradition called dugnad, which involves volunteering their time to help with community service projects for the common good. This can help us understand how “God does not show favoritism” (Acts 10:34), but loves all people completely and unconditionally, because God has created everyone in his own image (Genesis 1:27).
Norway’s recognition of every soul’s equal value can challenge us to move past our own biases and remember that in God’s kingdom, “there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28). We can remind ourselves regularly that every person we meet day by day is one of God’s beloved children, along with us. We can also contribute to our churches and local communities in the ways God leads us to do so, as 1 Peter 4:10 encourages us to do: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” The people of Norway remind us that, from God’s perspective, everyone has tremendous worth as one of his beloved children.
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Matheus-Ferrero
3. The Importance of Water
Water runs through all parts of Norway’s culture. This rainy nation has one of the longest coastlines in the world, many waterfalls flowing down its mountains, and a thriving seafood industry. But Norway is especially known for its fjords – deep inlets of beautiful water that were carved by massive glaciers, in between mountain walls that rise thousands of feet straight out of the sea. I was grateful to explore several different fjords on my trip: Mostraumen, Sognefjord, Nærøyfjord, and Hardangerfjord.
As I enjoyed the wonder of that distinctive scenery, I thought of Psalm 95:4-5, which describes God’s creation and care for creation: “In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.” Thinking about the wonderful scale of the fjords can help us put our daily stresses into perspective. If God can move glaciers to carve mountains, surely God can move the obstacles in our lives when we turn our worries into prayers. We can find comfort in what Psalm 36:6 says to God: “Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, and your justice like the great deep” (Psalm 36:6).
Just as the people of Norway work hard to keep their waters free from pollution, we can commit to growing in holiness and trusting in God as the Living Water who gives us the grace we need day by day. When we think about Norwegian waterfalls flowing powerfully down mountain cliffs and into the sea, we can be inspired by how Psalm 42:7 describes God’s powerful peace that can wash over us: “deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.”
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/thenata
4. The Wisdom to Manage Money Well
Thanks to the discovery of oil in Norwegian waters in 1969, Norway has become one of the richest nations in the world. I talked with several Norwegian tour guides about how the government manages the vast amount of money (currently valued at around $2 trillion) in its oil fund – the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG). Managers widely diversify the fund’s investments, spreading its wealth across most financial markets, countries, and currencies worldwide. Instead of spending most of the profits, they’re careful to prepare for the future when the oil will eventually run out.
Every budget cycle, they limit their spending from the oil fund to 3 percent or less, so that the vast majority is still invested for future costs. Also, Norwegians value humility, and they don’t flaunt their wealth by showing off; they give generously to support nonprofit organizations, like charities and environmental groups. This all reflects biblical wisdom about managing money well. Proverbs 21:20 points out we should be careful not to spend down our wealth on short-term pleasures: “In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and olive oil, but a foolish man gulps theirs down.” Jesus urges us in Luke 14:28 to count the cost of our possible future expenses and prepare for them wisely: “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?”
Norway models the wise financial planning that God calls us all to practice. The Norwegian aversion to flaunting wealth (which is influenced by the Nordic concept of janteloven that emphasizes humility and community over individual bragging rights) can challenge us to make sure we’re placing our hope where it belongs – in God – and not in money. The Bible urges us in 1 Timothy 6:17: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”
Just as Norway uses its wealth carefully, with the common good in mind, God calls us all to wisely manage the money he has made it possible for us to have in this world. Proverbs 3:9 encourages us to: “Honor the Lord with your wealth…”. We can do so by following God’s financial guidance carefully.
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Micheile Henderson
5. The Blessing of Trees
About a quarter of Norway is covered in forests. These woods feature trees like Norway spruce, birch, mountain ash, and aspen that tower over the people who hike among them. Hiking groups are very popular here. People hike through the forest in all kinds of weather, even cross-country skiing in the winter. They often spend the night in cabins along the trails so they can take long trips. Norwegians practice sustainable forestry by replanting the trees they cut down to invest in the future of their beautiful woods.
Enjoying trees, as Norwegians do, can give us a fresh perspective. Trees can inspire us to trust God more by standing as silent yet powerful witnesses of God’s faithfulness over time. Psalm 1:3 says that the person who trusts in the Lord “is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.” (Psalm 1:3). We can also see God’s design in how nothing is wasted in a healthy forest. Even a fallen, dead log provides life and nutrients for new moss to grow. This reminds us that God uses every part of our lives for good.
We can trust what Jeremiah 17:7-8 tells us: “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.” This wisdom of the trees also shows us how to be resilient during the challenging situations we go through in this fallen world. In northern Norway, trees must survive months of darkness and heavy snow during the winter. Yet, they don’t break; they bend and wait for the sun to come back. This can remind us of God’s promises in Romans 5:3-4: “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Just as the Norway spruce uses the winter cold to make its wood tighter and stronger, our own challenges can strengthen our faith when we trust God to help us overcome them.
In conclusion, a visit to Norway can help us learn valuable and inspiring lessons about who God is and who God has called us to be. Norway reminds us that our Creator has called us to live fully in the open air of creation with a sense of awe and a commitment to choose love and wisdom in our daily decisions.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/ Casey Horner
